Originally Posted by tmohler

Hi all,

I bought my 87 back in September. It shifted kinda hard from 2 to 3, but both the PO and his mechanic thought it was a vacuum issue. It wasn't too bad in any case and I figured it could be adjusted.

The shifting has gotten worse and sometimes now it makes a clunking noise when shifting, especially at low RPMs. On a really cold day, it doesn't seem to want to shift at all unless I floor it.

I took the car to an indy mechanic that a couple other Mercedes diesel owners I know use. He seems knowledgeablea and forthright. He diagnosed and fixed a suspension issue for me that the dealer couldn't figure out, so I think he knows his stuff.

He told me that it's not a vacuum issue. He said there was a slight leak in the transmission and that there might be some damage inside from lack of lubrication if the PO had not kept the transmission serviced. He said he could open it up, he's not sure what he'll find.

Does that sound right to the gurus here?

I know I can get a Mighty Vac to check for myself, but I'm not car-handy. If anyone has some detailed instructions on how to check vacuum (preferrably with pictures) maybe I can double-check for myself what's going on before I start thinking about lots of $$$ for transmission repair.

Thanks for any help

Tim